I am a Tombstone Tourist: someone who loves to wander cemeteries. I find it akin to visiting a museum: an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a tranquil outdoor setting. This blog is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy - subjects of current relevance. I usually find something that intrigues me and makes me want to dig deeper. Care to join me? Read on...

Friday, February 7, 2014

Cemetery Statues of Hope

Just
as there are statues of grief in the cemetery, there are also statues of faith,
courage and hope.The
dictionary defines hope as something you “expect
or look forward to with confidence and trust.”

Hope
is the desire for a positive outcome from a circumstance or situation,
including death. Hope can be expressed in many ways in the cemetery including:

Anchor on Stone

A
rose left on a grave.

An
anchor symbolizing hope for seafarers and Christians.

Dove in Flight

A
dove is a symbol of hope, just as all birds in flight.

And here
are more symbols of hope found in the cemetery.

Angels:

Just
as angels can be symbols of mourning, they can also be the bearers of hope,
celebrating the passing of a soul and assisting it on to heaven.

Angels Dancing:

Angels Assisting a Soul:

Children:

Children
can also signify hope in the cemetery. Here one child dances at the release
death has provided – as two children gaze at a butterfly, a symbol of purity
and the transformation of the soul.

Birds in Flight:

A
bird taking off or in flight symbolized the release of the soul and it’s flight
to the afterlife and rebirth.

Open Gates:

Gates are usually open to signify the soul entering heaven, or
as a portal to the afterlife.

Women:

Just
as women are the mourners for humankind, they are also the ones who rejoice and
express jubilation for the passing of a soul, especially if death is seen as a
release, and a celebration. Women may be found dancing, running, looking foreward,
or standing at the cross – all
are poised in a moment of remembrance, and freedom.

Signs of hope abound in the cemetery, if you only take the time to look...

About Me

I
love wine and will take any chance to sip, savor and share it! Hence, Joy’s JOY
of Wine http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com,
a weekly blog about all things wine. I've been in the industry for 15
years as a winery owner, marketing director, speaker, writer, wine judge, and
100% vino girl!

I'm
also a professional freelance magazine and book writer uncorking articles about
wine, food, history, travel, cemetery history and culture. My interest in
cemetery culture led to another great, or maybe I should say
"grave" gig, my weekly blog: A Grave Interest http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com where I get to travel around the country and speak about cemetery topics for genealogy, history and
education conferences.

I suppose you could say that wine is my
passion, and cemeteries are my diversion ... into another world.

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